Article 3 – Ranking, Scheduling, and Rescheduling
Premium STLWEST Interpretation Guide for team ranking, league placement, schedule creation, game timing restrictions, manager reschedule requests, and alternate park approvals.
Purpose of This Guide
Article 3 explains how STLWEST teams are ranked, placed into leagues, scheduled, and rescheduled. These rules help protect competitive balance, scheduling fairness, field operations, umpire coordination, and consistency across all Member Associations.
Section 3.01 – Team Ranking and League Placement
Official Rule:
Teams in all divisions will be ranked according to ability and placed into leagues composed of such number of teams as shall be determined by a STLWEST ranking board consisting of voting representation from all Member Associations. This board will determine titles of these leagues. It is a goal of this board to have regularly organized leagues composed of such number of teams of not less than four (4) and not more than seven (7) teams.
Meaning:
STLWEST ranks teams by ability and places them into leagues through a ranking board made up of voting representatives from all Member Associations.
Practical Implications:
Team placement is not random. Placement is intended to create more balanced leagues and reduce major competitive mismatches.
Simplified Wording:
STLWEST ranks teams by ability and places them into leagues, usually with four to seven teams.
Governance Purpose:
This creates a league-wide process for fair placement and helps prevent one association or team from controlling competitive structure.
Important Note:
The rule says the four-to-seven team range is a goal, not an absolute guarantee.
Best Practice:
Associations should provide honest team ability information during ranking discussions so teams are placed appropriately.
Key Operational Takeaway:
Ranking and league placement are handled through STLWEST representation, not by individual team preference alone.
Bottom Line:
STLWEST uses a ranking board to place teams into ability-based leagues.
Section 3.02 – League Game Dates
Official Rule:
All divisions may schedule regular league games on dates to be determined annually by the STLWEST Board of Directors.
Meaning:
STLWEST Board of Directors determines the dates available for regular league games each year.
Practical Implications:
Teams and associations must follow the league calendar established by STLWEST.
Simplified Wording:
STLWEST decides the league game dates each year.
Governance Purpose:
This keeps the season organized and consistent across all divisions and Member Associations.
Important Note:
Local scheduling should stay within the dates approved by STLWEST.
Best Practice:
Associations should wait for the official STLWEST calendar before finalizing field schedules.
Key Operational Takeaway:
Annual league dates are controlled by STLWEST governance.
Bottom Line:
Regular league games must be scheduled on STLWEST-approved dates.
Section 3.03 – 8U Game Start Time Restriction
Official Rule:
8U Divisions teams shall not be scheduled for, nor begin play of any game starting after 8:59 P.M. prior to the end of the current school year for players on either team.
Meaning:
Before the current school year ends, 8U teams cannot be scheduled for or begin games after 8:59 P.M.
Practical Implications:
Schedulers must avoid late start times for 8U games while school is still in session for either team.
Simplified Wording:
Before school is out, 8U games cannot start after 8:59 P.M.
Governance Purpose:
This protects younger players from excessively late games during the school year.
Important Note:
The rule applies if the school year is still active for players on either team.
Best Practice:
Schedule 8U games earlier in the evening before school is out to avoid violations.
Key Operational Takeaway:
8U games have a special school-year start-time protection.
Bottom Line:
8U games cannot begin after 8:59 P.M. before the school year ends.
Section 3.04 – Latest Start Time for STLWEST League Games
Official Rule:
Originally scheduled or rescheduled STLWEST league game shall not be scheduled to start after 9:30 P.M.
Meaning:
No STLWEST league game, whether originally scheduled or rescheduled, may be scheduled to start after 9:30 P.M.
Practical Implications:
Schedulers must ensure all original and makeup games start no later than 9:30 P.M.
Simplified Wording:
STLWEST league games cannot be scheduled to start after 9:30 P.M.
Governance Purpose:
This creates a hard operational cutoff for game scheduling and protects players, families, umpires, and park staff from unreasonable late starts.
Important Note:
This rule applies to both original schedules and rescheduled games.
Best Practice:
Leave enough buffer between games so delays do not push schedules into late-night issues.
Key Operational Takeaway:
9:30 P.M. is the latest allowed scheduled start time.
Bottom Line:
STLWEST league games may not be scheduled to start after 9:30 P.M.
Section 3.05 – Official Schedule Availability
Official Rule:
Official schedules shall be made available prior to the beginning of the league season showing: the dates, starting times, game locations and the opposing teams for all league games.
Meaning:
Teams must receive official schedules before the league season begins, including the key details needed to play each game.
Practical Implications:
Families, managers, umpires, and associations should have access to dates, times, locations, and opponents before league play starts.
Simplified Wording:
Before the season starts, teams should know when, where, and who they play.
Governance Purpose:
This promotes transparency, planning, and operational readiness across the league.
Important Note:
The schedule must include dates, start times, game locations, and opposing teams.
Best Practice:
Publish schedules in one official location and communicate updates clearly if changes occur.
Key Operational Takeaway:
Official schedules should be available before the season begins.
Bottom Line:
STLWEST requires preseason schedule transparency.
Section 3.06 – Manager Reschedule Requests
Official Rule:
A manager may request a game be rescheduled under the following conditions:
(1) If requested prior to 10 days before the originally scheduled game then can be changed at no fee,
(2) If requested within 10 days before the originally scheduled game then can be changed at a fee as determined by the home association,
(3) NO game shall be rescheduled within 72 hours of originally scheduled game time
Meaning:
Managers may request reschedules, but the timing of the request determines whether there is no fee, a possible fee, or no reschedule allowed.
Practical Implications:
Early requests are easier to process. Late requests can create field, umpire, opponent, and staffing problems, so STLWEST places limits on them.
Simplified Wording:
More than 10 days out is no fee. Within 10 days may have a fee. Within 72 hours, no reschedule is allowed.
Governance Purpose:
This protects schedule stability and prevents last-minute disruptions to parks, teams, umpires, and families.
Important Note:
The 72-hour rule is written as a hard prohibition: “NO game shall be rescheduled within 72 hours.”
Best Practice:
Managers should review conflicts immediately when schedules are released and request changes as early as possible.
Key Operational Takeaway:
Reschedule timing matters and can affect both approval and fees.
Bottom Line:
STLWEST allows reschedules only under specific timing rules.
Section 3.07 – Rescheduling Games to Another Park
Official Rule:
No game shall be rescheduled to another park unless it meets ALL of the following conditions: (1) the game was rained out within last 3 weeks of the regular season, (2) all other attempts to reschedule the game at home park are exhausted, and (3) both parks’ Presidents have approved the change.
Meaning:
A game may only be moved to another park when every listed condition is met.
Practical Implications:
Moving a game to another park is not a convenience option. It is only allowed for late-season rainouts when the home park has no available reschedule options and both presidents approve.
Simplified Wording:
You can only move a game to another park if it was a late-season rainout, the home park cannot reschedule it, and both park presidents approve.
Governance Purpose:
This protects home park scheduling rights, field availability, umpire assignments, and association control over league operations.
Important Note:
The rule requires ALL conditions to be met. Missing even one condition means the game should not be moved to another park.
Best Practice:
Document the rainout date, home park reschedule attempts, and written approval from both presidents before moving the game.
Key Operational Takeaway:
Alternate park rescheduling is a last-resort option with president-level approval.
Bottom Line:
Games may only move to another park under strict STLWEST conditions.
Important Note: This interpretation guide is intended for educational and operational clarity. The official STLWEST rulebook remains the controlling authority for all ranking, scheduling, rescheduling, field movement, and league operation decisions.